The greater part of these adventures we have extracted from that work, and shall here insert them in order.
The pasha’s name was Hezr. His father Iacub was a soldier’s son at Aja Ava, and at the capture of Metylini enlisted in the volunteers, and remained in that island. He had four sons, Is’hak, Oruj, Hezr, and Elias, each of whom carried on a trade at sea. Is’hak afterwards settled at Metylini; Oruj continued his voyages to Egypt and Trabalos Sham; and Hezr to Saros and Salonica. Whilst Oruj and his brother Elias were sailing to Trabalos, they were attacked by some infidels of Rhodes, and Elias fell in the struggle. Hezr was also made a prisoner, and remained some time in the island. When he regained his liberty, he petitioned Sultan Corcud, who was then in Anatolia, for permission to go out as a corsair; which being granted, he sailed with a galley of eighteen benches. He first plundered the infidels’ ships about Rhodes, and then passed over to the coasts of Italy, where he attacked some boats, and after several engagements, in which he took considerable booty, returned and wintered at Eskenderia. Thence he went to the island of Jarba, where he left his cargo, and made preparations for a voyage to the infidel countries. On the accession of Sultan Selim to the throne, his brother, Corcud Khan, was obliged to conceal himself, and the Mediterranean ships were prohibited from sailing. Khair-ad-din therefore took ship at Metylini, and sailed to Maghreb; whilst his brother Oruj proceeded to the island of Jarba. Here the two brothers met, and formed an agreement to carry on their wars together; after which they repaired to Tunis, and requested some place of abode from the governor. At that time Tunis was held by Beni Hefs, who appointed for their use the castle of Halk-al-vad, upon condition that he should receive a fifth part of all their plunder.
THE ENGAGEMENTS OF ORUJ AND KHAIR-AD-DIN.
After the winter had passed, and the season for sailing had returned, the two corsairs fitted up two vessels, and left Halk-al-vad. They first came in contact with a large Genoese vessel, with a cargo of corn, which they seized without any ceremony. Shortly afterwards they met a huge merchant ship laden with cloth: this they also took without any loss of time; and returned to Tunis, where they gave up a fifth part of their plunder, and divided the remainder. They then once more made for the infidel coasts, and soon met a Spanish vessel in full sail, to which they made up; but there being on board of her an infidel beg, they had to fight sharply for some time. At last however they took the ship.
The fame of these two men now began to be very conspicuous, and their valour was celebrated along the shores of the Mediterranean. On one occasion they went out with four ships, and proceeded to a castle called Bajaia (Bujia), in the vicinity of Trabalos (Tripoli), of which they had obtained possession. Here they were opposed by the Spanish fleet, which gave them battle; but they bravely resisted them, and by the favour of God were victorious. They took two of the ships, and dispersed the rest, except one which Oruj Reis sunk. After the engagement Oruj Reis went out, and whilst he was surveying the castle, the enemy made an attempt to recover their vessels. Whilst Oruj Reis was employed in repelling them, a shot from the castle wounded his left arm. His brother took him on board, and had his arm dressed; but, as the wound seemed incurable, they were obliged to amputate it. In the mean time they took a barge and several small vessels, which they sent to Tunis. Khair-ad-din himself sailed to the island of Majorca, which he attacked, reduced several of the fortresses, and enriched himself with the plunder of the villages. Whilst he continued his cruise, the capudan of Corsica came out with eight galleys, and made preparations for an engagement. Khair-ad-din turned upon the capudan’s galley and attacked it; but the contest was long, and many men fell on both sides. At last the infidels were beaten, and began to retreat. The two vessels which they had taken Khair-ad-din obliged them to give up. He then returned to Tunis, where he left Oruj Reis on account of his wound.
THE ENGAGEMENTS OF KHAIR-AD-DIN.
During the winter the warrior again went to sea, and became exceedingly rich, having taken in one month three thousand eight hundred prisoners and twenty ships. The captives he retained for himself, but all the booty he divided among his men. In the spring he again took the command of seven private vessels, and went to sea. On this occasion he attacked a town on the infidel coast, and having taken about one thousand eight hundred prisoners, he sold them for two thousand florins, and returned. Whilst his vessels were dispersed in search of plunder, one night after he had lighted his lantern, he was followed by four barges, which he did not observe till the next morning, when he turned upon them and took all the four. These were laden with cloth; and when he carried them to Tunis, he took out of them eight thousand pastas and bales of cloth. Previously to this, on the same night, he had given chase to another barge, which however contrived to escape from him, but it was taken by the other ships, and being a French vessel, and fully laden, he entrusted it to his nephew, Mohi-ad-din Reis, and sent it with presents to the Porte; in return for which, the Porte sent him two galleys and a robe of honour. After this no ship could venture to withstand Khair-ad-din.
THE EXPEDITION TO BEJAIA AND THE CAPTURE OF SHARSHAL.
The warrior and his brother once more prepared ten vessels, and went out on an expedition to Bajaia. On their way they attacked a small fortress called Sharshal or Jajl, which they took without any difficulty; and putting into chains a hundred infidels whom they found in it, they left three ships with fifty men to guard it.
After this they went on to the castle of Bajaia, where they landed their men and took out their cannon. Having closely blockaded it, they took it by assault on the fourth day. Besides those who fell, they took five thousand prisoners; and the plunder of the castle they allotted to the twenty thousand Arabs who had come to their assistance. They then laid siege to the second castle, which they surrounded for twenty days; but at last, their ammunition falling short, they sent for assistance to the Sultan of Tunis, who however denied it them. In the mean time, an infidel fleet of two hundred vessels arrived, and placed more than ten thousand soldiers in the castle. Thus the Moslem troops were driven desperate and obliged to withdraw. Previously to this they had run their ships into the river; and the water having subsided, they were left on the land; and not being able to put them to sea again, they were obliged to fire them.